


She Couldn't Help but Smile Back

by Bojangles25



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Canon Compliant, Crushes, F/F, Friendship/Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-07
Updated: 2016-01-20
Packaged: 2018-04-30 11:14:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,633
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5161742
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bojangles25/pseuds/Bojangles25
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The lost moments between Korra and Asami, starting with the end of The Stakeout and continuing through the end of the series.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So I see that it is Korrasami month? It's not a prompt, but here's a contribution anyway. I'll probably add a second chapter set during Book 4.

Her arms burned as her eyes blinked open, but when she tried to lower them, the sharp choke of metal around her wrists and forearms forced Asami Sato to swallow a cry of pain. Practice had made the motion easy at this point. She was used to swallowing her pain and hiding it deep, where none could see it. She had grown skilled at it. Korra was one of the few who…

Her eyes fell on the twisted contraption of metal and leather straps leaning against the far wall from the lone door. Limp, sweat-soaked strands of chocolate hair were all that could be seen above the mask concealing the bottom half of the face it belonged to, but there was no mistaking who it belonged to. Asami looked away as cruel memory mocked her. They had been so close to escaping. Zaheer’s group was far behind. Asami had almost dared to smile before the trap sprung and she found herself enclosed within rock. Naga had fought so hard. She hoped the poor polar bear dog had gotten away. 

The good news was that they had not been captured by Zaheer. At least, Asami felt confident this was not the doing of the terrorist they had fled from back in the Misty Palms Oasis. Despite the chaos once the rock walls dropped and Naga sprang snarling forward, Asami had caught a glimpse of the uniforms their captors wore. This was the Earth Queen. That gave them a chance. 

She frowned down at the dirty floor. There had been much more than a chance. She had lost focus. She had thought them safe and turned her focus towards Bolin and Mako, planning how she and Korra could free them from whatever captivity Zaheer’s band placed them in. This was all Asami’s fault. She had been trusted with her best friend’s safety and failed. She had hoped such failures were a thing of the past. Something she had grown past. 

It made her wonder if she had changed at all from the naïve fool who nearly lost everything. Things had gone so well recently. Future Industries was again a growing success. The memory of her father’s betrayal, while never far from her thoughts, had silenced considerably. She had found considerable happiness in her friends. She had found happiness with Korra. This time a smile could not be denied. She again looked over at her friend, thankful for the drastic change in their relationship since the day those icy blue eyes had chilled Asami at Tarrlok’s gala at City Hall. The familiar rapid beat of her heart returned, and she again found herself wondering whether its cause was more than admiration and a crush. It also made her failure hurt that much more.

Keys jangled in the lock outside the door and Asami turned her attention towards the man who entered behind the scrape of the door bottom. He was an overweight man, and his bushy moustache had only recently turned grey. He cast a quick, worried glance towards Korra before turning towards Asami. His eyes were soft and kind. His features were familiar. Asami almost let herself relax.

“We’ve nearly arrived at the airship,” the officer said. Captain, if Asami remembered Earth Kingdom emblems correctly. “From there you will be transported to Ba Sing Se and the Earth Queen’s custody. The Avatar is our only objective here. Once she is safely tucked away we will let you go, as long as you can control yourself. Understood?”

Asami nodded. Her wrists throbbed and her teeth clenched together painfully.

“Good. We have no desire to harm you. Please, make sure the Avatar understands this when she comes to. Make sure she complies. I don’t wish to harm you, but I will do what I must to complete my mission.”

 _Her name is Korra._ Asami nodded, and watched as the captain left the cell, slamming the door shut behind him and turning the lock. She breathed deep to chase away the tears. A groan broke the silence, and it wasn’t until Korra spoke that Asami realized it had not been her own. 

“Zaheer! You tricked me! Let me go!” The fire in Korra’s fiery blue eyes cooled when they landed on Asami. “Asami! Are you okay? Where’s the rest of the Red Lotus?”

The engineer frowned. “What’s the Red Lotus? And…Zaheer didn’t capture us. The Earth Queen’s forces did.”

Korra’s eyes squinted in confusion. “Where are we?”

“I’m not sure. Some camp by the desert. They’re taking us back to Ba Sing Se.” Asami turned towards the door, not wanting to see the accusation in Korra’s eyes. The blame. She had promised to watch over the Avatar and keep her safe. Who else could possibly be blamed? All she could do now was wait for a chance to rectify her failure. Asami Sato liked to believe she had become proficient at rectifying her failures.

###

It was all she could do not to breath out a huge sigh at the sight of the airship they were to board. Instead Asami kept her head low and her expression defeated while Korra ranted beside her. She shuffled up the ramp leading inside, followed her escort through the corridors, and entered her latest cell meekly, never giving any impression besides that of complete surrender. After she convinced the young soldier responsible for restraining her to chain her to the railing, she gave it a subtle pull. Shoddy workmanship. There were many reasons Future Industries had recovered, and Cabbage Corp’s inferior quality was an important one.

The chains around her wrists made crawling in the spaces beneath the floor uncomfortable, but nothing she couldn’t manage. The lone footsteps of the guard patrolling the corridor outside their cell passed over her head twice. She crawled into an empty, adjacent room and smashed the links binding her to the detached railing. They must have manufactured by Cabbage Corp as well, she thought. The soldier’s footsteps passed by a third time and came to a shuffling halt, the metal groaning beneath him. 

“Guard!” Korra shouted, her voice well panicked. “Get in here! Something happened to my friend! She needs help!”

Asami crept from the empty room and towards the distracted young soldier. A single blow rendered him unconscious. Only four keys hung from the ring at his waist, and she strutted into the cell twirling them around her finger. Why did I just do that? Whatever Korra might have thought, she said nothing as Asami unlocked the restraints keeping the Avatar prisoner.

“Nice work,” Korra said when her straightjacket fell to the ground. She took a moment to roll the kinks from her shoulders, and Asami caught herself staring at the toned muscles in her triceps. “Now let’s take control of this ship.”

Asami grabbed the Avatar’s arm before she could storm off obliviously. “Let me take the lead. I know these airships just as well as my own. I can get us to the bridge quicker than if you start tearing the ship apart.”

Korra crossed her arms, the muscles rippling with anticipation and barely restrained power. “Good idea. How do you know so much about Cabbage Corp, anyway?”

“You can’t give your customers a better product than your competitors unless you know your competitors. Good thing the Earth Queen is cheap.” Asami smirked, but quickly wiped it from her face. “I’m sorry I got us in this situation. I tried to fight. Naga, too, but…”

“Don’t apologize,” Korra said. “If not for you I’d still be locked up. You did your best.”

That was the problem. Asami’s best never seemed to be good enough. Not to protect Korra, not to protect her company, not even to be the most important thing in her own father’s life. “I don’t know where Naga went. I don’t think they captured her.”

“Of course not. We’d know. She’d howl louder than this thing runs, believe me.” Korra laughed, then put a hand on Asami’s shoulder. “Stop feeling sorry for yourself, okay? We’re fine now, and we’re going to get out of here. We’ll find Mako and Bolin, beat these Red Lotus jerks up, and save the world. If we can handle the embodiment of chaos and evil, I think we can handle Zaheer’s little band.”

Asami had somehow forgotten about Mako and Bolin. Korra’s kind words only made her feel worse, but she tried for confidence anyway. “Let’s do this, then.”

###

The Avatar flicked the sweat from her forehead, feeling entirely gross from head to toe. The desert was hot enough, but the engine room had made her felt like boiling cabbage. At least the task was done now. A merciful breeze whisked through her hair as she followed the sound of screeching metal where Asami continued her repairs. 

Korra took a moment to watch her friend work. While there would always be that stupid, competitive part of her that felt a little jealous of Asami’s technological prowess, the same stupid competitiveness that once drove her to take secret driving lessons in hopes of one day revisiting the engineer’s race track and beating her, Korra had mostly learned to appreciate Asami’s skills. How would Team Avatar ever have managed without them? And it was nice to see Asami when she was truly passionate about something. Korra had begun to notice the change in her whenever the engineer talked about something she loved.

The screeching stopped, and Asami lifted her visor to examine her work. A frown still adorned her soft features. Korra could never claim to be the best at reading people, but she liked to think their friendship had grown to the point where she knew how to read the often brooding engineer. Asami liked to bury things deep. Too deep. The Avatar could see it now in the way her temples wrinkled and her eyes squinted. It was the same expression Asami often had back when she spent every hour of every day trying to keep Future Industries afloat. 

All of that had changed in the two weeks following Harmonic Convergence, as the things returned to normal and their friendship grew. It had been a long time since Korra saw that look, and now she had spent almost every moment since she returned from the Spirit World staring at it. She was determined to change that as she walked over to check on the progress of the repairs and tell Asami the sand was out of the engines.

“How’s it looking in there?” Asami shouted from her perch alongside the airship.

“I just airbended all the sand out of the engine room. I think it’s clean.”

“It hasn’t been that clean since it floated off the showroom floor,” the crewman at Korra’s side said.

“How’s it going out here?” the Avatar asked.

Asami grimaced. “Well, she’s still pretty banged up but I think she might be able to limp out of the desert. Kong, you want to see if you can get the engines started?”

“Aye-aye.”

The engineer rappelled to the ground and unhooked her support wire from her belt. “Well, I could think of worse ways to spend a day trapped in the desert. At least I wasn’t bored.”

Korra nudged her with an elbow. “I knew I didn’t hurt it that bad.”

“Some restraint still would have been nice.”

From anyone else the comment would have put Korra on the defensive. She and Asami had long ago grown used to the good-natured ribbing they exchanged. The Avatar laughed while she watched Kong hurry into the airship. “Restraint isn’t my specialty. I guess I could try to change, but could you imagine me all calm and willing to talk before I punch?”

“No. I don’t think I could imagine that.”

Korra’s grin faltered at her friend’s expression. Asami quickly wiped her face clean, but not quickly enough. It was an expression Korra was noticing more and more lately. It reminded her of a look she couldn’t quite place. And more and more Korra noticed how that look made her guts twist and her skin warm. She was glad the desert heat would hide the flush in her cheeks.

Sometimes she thought she saw the same flush on Asami’s cheeks. That only made Korra’s guts twist all the harder.

“Well, don’t worry,” the Avatar said. “I don’t plan to stop beating people up anytime soon.”

“Good. I don’t think the Red Lotus can be talked out of their plan. Besides, I didn’t become friends with a Korra that likes talking to bad guys.”

The airship’s engines sputtered to a hesitant start and a cheer matched them. It quickly died as a colossal sand shark emerged and snapped the airship in half. Korra sprinted away from a tidal wave of sand left in its wake, Asami at her side. What remained of the broken airship was strewn across the sands. 

“Good thing you’re not a talker,” Asami said, “because that thing isn’t willing to listen.”

###

Finding the Avatar was far from a difficult task. Even if Asami had not managed to hear Naga’s excited panting from such a distance or feel the subtle shiver of the earth with every heavy pounce, there was no mistaking the enormous silhouette bounding from spot to spot along the pathway. Though perhaps Naga wasn’t quite so enormous compared to the truly titanic creature that had nearly swallowed them whole that day. All in all it was a day that Asami would have been happy to say goodbye to in the comfort of a bed.

Yet, like Korra, she had found sleep the most demanding task yet. The Avatar sat atop the ledge of an overhang, raising blocks from the ground and lowering them as Naga pounced. The polar bear dog stopped when she noticed Asami and trotted over to greet her. She hugged the animal close, truly happy that Naga was safe. Not just for Korra’s sake, but her own. Failing to stop Korra’s capture was failure enough. If anything had happened to the Avatar’s best friend, Asami wouldn’t have been able to face her again, and besides, she loved the fuzz ball. They had been through as much together as anyone else in Asami’s life.

“Hey, get your own,” Korra teased from her perch. A cup made of half the local fruits hanging from the trees sat beside her knee. “Let me finish this and I’ll come down.”

“That’s okay, stay there.” Asami took a moment to plan her ascent, then walked over to a nearby palm tree. “Sorry, Naga. You have to stay down here.”

Korra grinned at the engineer when she sat beside her on the ledge. “Impressive.”

“Maybe a little. I’ve done harder.”

“No doubt. I still wonder if I imagined that flip you did over that bandit bike when we collected the gold for the Earth Queen. I don’t think I could do that if you gave me ten tries.”

“You wouldn’t have to.”

“Good point.” Korra took a sip of her drink and laughed. “Makes me wonder about those ‘self-defense’ classes. The way you fight I wonder if you’re some kind of secret vigilante.”

Asami hoped her uneasy laugh didn’t betray how unfortunately close that joke approached the truth. She would never have truly called herself a vigilante, but there had been many lonely nights in the aftermath of her father’s imprisonment. Nights where Mako was busy with his police work or passed out in his apartment afterwards. Nights Varrick spent trying to turn Bolin into a star. Nights where Korra was thousands of miles away, and like this night, Asami could no more close her eyes and sleep than she could wake up in the morning and find her father had never been a monster. 

And while Team Avatar may not have patrolled the streets anymore, Asami still had the car and desperate need of a distraction.

“We’re both kind of stupid, huh?” Korra said. “The Earth Kingdom’s in chaos, the Red Lotus are on the loose, Mako and Bolin are captured. If ever there was a night to make sure you get some rest, this is it, yet here we are.”

“I haven’t been much of a sleeper these past couple of months.”

“Me, either.” Korra offered her drink to Asami, and the engineer took a sip, not realizing until the fruity liquid hit her tongue just how dry her mouth was. “It used to drive Mako crazy. He didn’t even realize he was doing the same thing. He’d find me awake at some way too early hour and go into some stupid rant about rest and nutrition and a healthy body. Then I’d point out just how dark those bags under his eyes were and we would end up fighting. Big surprise, huh? Um, sorry. Seems like I always end up venting about Mako to you.”

Asami smiled and took another sip of the drink. “Don’t be sorry. I’ve done the same thing with you. I understand. Mako was your first boyfriend. You’re probably still trying to sort out your feelings.”

Korra shrugged. “Not really. I mean, I’m glad we’re friends despite it all. I still care about him, but I’m over it. I think the only reason I still do that is because we became friends over angry venting over Mako. I’ll always be glad about that. I can’t imagine not having your around to talk to.”

Moonlight floated gently from the clear, cold desert sky to illuminate Korra’s lopsided smile and the stray strands of dark hair across her forehead. It was all Asami could do not to clutch at her tightening chest. A crush? Who was she kidding? This had been more than a crush for some time now.

“I’m happy you feel that way. I can’t imagine not having you around, either.”

“I’m not planning on going anywhere. Or, well, you know what I mean.”

Asami was not sure what anything meant at that moment. “Yeah, I understand.”

Naga’s whine pierced the silence, and a grumpy voice told her to be quiet. Korra and Asami shared a laugh, their shoulders bumping. The engineer was never more grateful for her jacket. She could feel the heat radiating off Korra’s skin even through the thick material. It spread from the point of contact, heating her neck and spreading across her chest. Her cheeks flushed hot enough to boil a pot of tea. Wasn’t it just like Korra, who was always quick to spread her joy and her anger and her convictions and her pure _good_ to those who knew her?

“Guess we better head down,” Korra said reluctantly. She wrapped a muscular arm around Asami’s waist and a gust of wind blew Asami’s hair into messy tangles. The nonbender could not have possibly cared less.

###

Korra’s steps were slower than normal, and she kept glancing over at the taller woman beside her. After the fifth time she was caught, Asami finally returned the stare. “What?”

“I’m waiting for you to tell me why this is a bad idea and I shouldn’t do it.”

“I don’t have any other ideas. It’s worth a shot.”

The breath Korra did not realize she was holding burned as it traveled up her throat and out of her mouth. “Thanks. I’m not sure I know what I’m doing, but I feel like I have to do something. Even if I can’t catch Zaheer in the Spirit World, hopefully I can delay him enough that we can catch up.”

“You have my full support, Korra.” Asami smiled. “You don’t have to explain yourself to me. I trust that you are doing what you think is right.”

The words invigorated Korra like a hot meal, their encouragement driving her legs to walk faster. Every muscle relaxed from the argument she had stupidly expected. Habit, she figured. She was used to her every decision being questioned. As a child, there were always the White Lotus guards and masters telling her what she could do, what she was capable of, when she could learn to bend an element and judging her abilities. When she left the Southern Water Tribe for Republic City, it had been Tenzin telling her she was wrong. Then Mako, even before they were a couple. Her father had second-guessed her every word during the civil war. Lin, Suyin, President Raiko, the media, everyone loved to tell her what she was doing wrong.

Asami always had her back. Even back when Korra was acting like a jealous jerk, Asami had shown nothing but support. Without a single selfish thought she had supported the Fire Ferrets, helped them fight the Equalists, and even taken down her father. She had given Tenzin an airship to help search for the new airbenders. She had always been there to lend Korra an ear, even during their “rivalry.” A rivalry entirely made up in Korra’s mind. The Avatar frowned at the thought.

That strange stirring in her guts was accompanied by a stirring in her chest. She had never had any kind of close girl friend before, and had told Asami as much. She wondered if that was why she found it so easy to talk to her, or if it was something special about Asami. It wasn’t as if Korra had never been around other women before. Some of the White Lotus guards had been women. She had met crazed fans and gone to dinner parties where she talked with them. She found them much the same as anyone. She met some that were nice, some that were mean, some that were selfish and others that were not. There was something different about Asami. 

They reached the tree where she had decided to meditate, and Korra plopped heavily down to the dirt. As always, Asami sank gracefully to her side. “Thanks, Asami. This means a lot to me. Let’s hope I don’t wake up strapped and in chains this time, huh?”

Korra knew it was a dumb thing to say before the words faded into the sky, and Asami’s sorrowful expression only made her feel worse. “I’m sorry. I should have been more careful. I shouldn’t have let them capture you.”

“No, no! I’m sorry, I didn’t…please, you have no reason to feel guilty about that. We didn’t expect the Earth Queen’s forces. We were focused on Zaheer.”

“I still should have kept a better look out.”

Asami’s face slackened and paled, her eyes brimming with self-blame. Korra wanted nothing more than to reach out and hug her. Instead she placed a gentle hand on her knee. “You’ve never been anything but helpful since the day we met. I didn’t even deserve for you to be so nice to me at first, but you were anyway. Without you I would probably be in the Earth Queen’s grasp right now. It’s not like Mako or Bolin would have known how to escape from that airship or fix it once it crashed. Come on, I hate seeing you look so down about yourself. You have no reason to be. You’re a great person and I’m lucky to know you.”

The engineer too a deep breath and raised her eyes up to Korra’s. A grateful smile spread across her face. “Thanks. I’m even luckier to know you.”

Korra swallowed hard. She recognized the feeling that smile gave her. It was that same feeling she had towards that young White Lotus guard that was her first kiss. It was the same way she felt when she began pro-bending with Mako. The Avatar wondered when she had begun feeling that same way about Asami. She wondered why. 

“Well,” she said, eager to change the subject. This was not the time to think about crushes or why she had one. “Let’s do this.”

Asami was still smiling. “Good luck.”

Korra took a deep breath, trying to clear her mind of the thoughts. Asami’s smile was the last of them, and it remained the one constant as one world faded into another. She still smiled when Korra returned from the Spirit World, and the Avatar couldn’t help but smile back.


	2. Chapter 2

“I like your car,” Korra said, lopsided grin plastered between her rosy cheeks, flush from the crisp wind whipping her shorn hair back. “Cool colors.”

Asami’s blush had nothing to do with the chill or the wind. She hoped her voice would come out even. “When I upgraded to a new model, I figured I should get a new paint job, too.”

“And you picked Water Tribe colors because of me?” Korra teased. Or, Asami assumed she was teasing until she glanced over and saw the lack of mirth in her stone-still expression. The engineer fought the scratch in her throat until Korra began to laugh. “Now I really have no excuse not to drive. Not when they make them in my color scheme.”

“You could always paint Naga. Or wear suits like the airbenders have, but in Water Tribe colors.”

Korra shrugged and turned to watch the city passing by. It had changed greatly since she was last here, and the day’s events had not afforded a chance to appreciate the integration with the Spirit Wilds which had seen the Avatar banished 3 years ago. Asami sucked in a deep, burning breath, relieved things had turned out so well. Mere seconds had made the difference between rescuing Wu and never finding him at all. Only now was the stress evaporating from her shoulders, leaving only the fatigue.

Still, it had been a good day. They did rescue Wu. Korra was back. _Korra said I looked “snazzy.” She blushed._ A giggle burst from Asami’s lips and her friend raised a curious eyebrow. “I’m just relieved at how well things went today,” Asami lied. 

“Yeah, things almost went really bad. Poor Mako.” Korra ran her hand through her wind-tangled hair. “So, we’re cool, right?”

“What do you mean?”

“You know, the…when we talked about your father? I didn’t mean to make you upset. I was just worried.”

Asami smiled warmly. “I know. I’m not angry. I wasn’t even angry then. Not about what you said.”

“I know. Like I said, I didn’t mean to be gone so long, but I needed to find my own way and fully recover. Though, I guess I didn’t fully recover since I still can’t enter the Avatar State-”

“You’ll figure it out, Korra. I know you will.”

That smile again. “Thanks. It’s…it’s hard. You know I won’t give up, though.” She threw her head back and sighed. “It would help if I had any idea what to do. When Toph told me about the poison still inside me, I was so sure that was the problem. Now it’s gone but I still have a problem.”

“Have you talked to Tenzin about this?”

“I haven’t talked to anyone about it. He knows, but I haven’t asked him for advice. You’re the only one I’ve really talked to about this and, well, like I told you before that’s because I find things easier to talk about with you.”

_It’s easier to tell you about this stuff._ The letter still sat in a desk drawer in her bedroom, somewhere among the stacks of unopened letters from her father and clutter of old expense reports and half-finished designs she never bothered to throw away. There had been a time when hardly a day passed without Asami reading it, as if some coded message lay within the rough scribbles so Korra that the mere sight had brought Asami to tears well before she made sense of them. 

Looking over at Korra now, she wondered if she should go ahead and throw it away. The past remained stagnant and never changing, no matter how many times you revisit it. Only the future could bring the change one desired.

###

_“If you ever want to talk or…anything.”_

_Korra’s broken blue eyes remained fixed towards her lap. Asami searched for anything, everything, all the words she knew for the right combination to infuse them with the life and laughter the engineer had come to know. Come to love. After two weeks, she had reluctantly accepted that there as no such solution to this problem. Nothing in her life had ever been so difficult to accept._

_The words tickled at the back of her throat, even now. I love you. She almost said it out of blind hope they were the miracle words that could return even a little bit of life to Korra’s slack, dead expression. Now was not the time for that. Now was the time to be there, to help Korra. Her needs came first. Asami was her friend before anything else._

_“Let’s just try to enjoy this today. For Jinora.”_

_Korra’s eyes widened. “You’re right.” A deep breath expanded her chest. “Okay. Let’s go.” So strong. So much stronger than Asami ever thought she could be. She remembered how weak she had been after learning the truth about her father. How she had spent her days barely holding back her tears, until the night came and they shook her to the core in bed._

_She felt shame for the past two weeks spent at Korra’s side, watching just how strong the Avatar was in the face of her struggles. Asami had not left her side except when left no choice, and even then could often be found pacing the halls of the women’s dormitory on Air Temple Island. She had paid for the best doctors, the best healers, for the passage of Master Katara, Tonraq, and Senna. She stayed in the next room over and hardly closed her eyes, ready to dash from her bed when the whimpers and groans began. The few nights she managed real sleep were often in the scratchy wooden chair beside Korra’s bed. She would wake to the first rays of morning through the dusty blinds, still holding Korra’s hand because of some nightmare, and guilt would knife her heart like a blade._

_Asami glanced down at her friend as she wheeled the Avatar’s chair carefully into the courtyard. Korra’s shoulders were straighter, her head held higher. Every muscle seemed to tremble with effort. Asami found herself falling in love all over again. Korra never stopped trying. Despite all the pain and fear, despite the nightmares never allowing her a restful night, she still tried like no one Asami had ever known._

_The chair jolted when the wheels hit the old stone. “Wait,” Korra said, and Asami was quickly kneeling beside her. “No, I’m okay. I wanted…thank you. I’ve been so weak lately and you’ve…everyone has been there for me. I’m sorry for being such a burden.”_

_“No, Korra,” Asami said. Too sharply. Korra winced and the engineer trembled in effort not to hug her close. “You have nothing to apologize for. Most could never manage what you have been through. We all love you. We’re happy to help however we can.”_

_“And if I never get better?”_

_“You will. I have no doubt that you will.”_

_Asami could see that Korra did not believe her. That was okay. Asami would keep saying it until she did. The engineer reached for Korra’s hand. “I am not your friend because you are the Avatar. I am your friend because you a strong, wonderful person who I am proud to know. I’m not going to abandon you, and neither will anyone else. Take your time and get better. We will be right here whenever you need us.”_

_She moved back behind the wheelchair and began pushing it towards the distant steps. Her left hand rested on Korra’s shoulder, and the Avatar lifted one of her own to grasp it._

###

“Ooh, the park!” Korra gave no chance for argument, jumping from the car and landing in a swirl of air outside one of the light-bathed entrances leading into Avatar Korra Park.

Asami shook her head and parked her Satomobile off to the side of the road. Korra was well ahead now. Asami followed the rustle of disturbed wildlife and spirits past the vines crawling like hedges along the side of the concrete paths. The wind gently carried shadowy leaves through the lamplight, briefly illuminating them in shades of blue and red. A ring of lights illuminated the statue of Korra at the center of the park. The Avatar stood in its considerable shadow, staring up at the likeness.

“What do you think?” Asami asked.

“Um, it’s good. I like it.” Korra’s arms uncrossed, the muscles slackening. “Yeah, good job!”

Asami’s face fell just as slack. “That bad?”

“No! Not at all. It’s just weird. I got a statue for…I don’t know. Disappearing? Almost dying? Not sure why I deserve it.”

_Because you are incredible. Strong, brave, selfless, kind. The best person I know and the most deserving of the world’s love._

“Who decided to build this, anyway?”

Asami slinked backwards. “Um, it was a decision by the city as a whole. We all decided on the name and the statue seemed a natural addition.” _I insisted. You deserved this. You still do. And…I had not heard from you in so long. I thought maybe hearing about this park and this statue would free you from whatever evil shackles restrained you._ “You beat Amon. You saved the entire world from Unavaatu. You beat the Red Lotus. This park only exists because of you.”

Korra smirked, but it failed to reach her eyes. “It is a nice statue. It looks just like me. Whoever sculpted this is good, or was given a good template.”

Asami had watched every step of the way. The artist kept insisting on personal touches that did not belong. If not for his talent, she would have fired the man five times over. 

“I totally have to bring Naga here.”

“We built an area specifically for those who wish to bring pets.” Asami had requested it for the day Korra returned, specifically for Naga. “Want to see?”

Korra grinned, and Asami made off quickly before the heat reached her cheeks.

Tall hedges walled in the pet playground. A cage filled with rubber balls of varying sizes sat off to one side. The benches still glinted with a glossy sheen. That made Asami happy. She had been insistent on keeping the entire park clean. Korra seemed to ignore it all. She only had eyes for the massive, hollowed structure at the center of the pet park.

She reached the top in a single burst of air that flicked Asami’s hair askew. “No way!” she shouted down. “You remembered this?”

“Of course.” Asami smiled up at her friend. “It’s not snow like the one you used to play with Naga in growing up, but I thought it turned out well.”

Korra slipped into the hole at the top of the multilevel maze and popped out from one a level lower. “You’re so amazing. This is great!”

“I’m glad you like it.”

A mischievous light made Korra’s blue eyes glow bright as the moon. “Bet you can’t catch me.”

“Bold challenge.” Asami placed a hand on a flared hip. “After all, I built this thing.”

“Ah, but I’m the Avatar. You don’t stand a chance.”

###

Korra was still giggling as they neared the docks. Asami had slowed the car as much as she dared, wanting the night to last. She was not sure whether Korra noticed, but she had said nothing so far.

“I’ve never seen you move that fast,” the Avatar said. “That was impressive.”

“I told you, I know that maze inside-out. I designed it. Knowledge of the surroundings beats superior athleticism every time.”

“I can’t argue after how badly you embarrassed me.” 

Korra let out a few more chuckles as they neared the waiting boat. Asami had slowed their progress to a crawl. Neither woman moved when the vehicle came to a stop. Two air acolytes waited to ferry the Avatar across. Asami was not ready for this night to be ferried across the waters and ended. 

“I’m so glad to be back,” Korra said. “This might be the last night we get like this.”

“Don’t be silly, we’ll have more-”

“No, it’s okay. Really.” Korra’s smile was honest, her eyes truthful. She knew no other way. “We have a tyrant to stop. I only needed this one day to spend with my friends before we dive back into battle. I know I haven’t been the most optimistic person lately, but I know I’ll win. Somehow, I’ll win.”

“Of course you will. You always do.”  
“And afterwards, I can get back to knowing my friends. And…maybe something more.”

Asami’s eyebrows furrowed. 

“I’ve been thinking about Mako asked earlier. You know, about what’s going on between the two of us. If I can tell there’s some kind of weirdness between us, then of course you can. You’ve always been better at this stuff than me. I think I know what I’m feeling and I think you’re thinking the same.”

A cold sweat made Asami tremble. Her white knuckles tightened around the steering wheel. 

“I’d rather not say anything right now. There’s too much ahead of us. Kuvira is dangerous, and her army is strong. When this is over, we’ll have time to talk about whatever this is. We have bigger worries until then. Okay?”

So selfless. Always so selfless. “I’d like that.”

Korra sighed heavily. She hopped from the car and waited until Asami followed. “So, I guess we’ll see each other tomorrow. Busy days ahead. It’s kind of exciting, though, right?”

The Avatar smiled, and Asami couldn’t help but smile back. “Yes, it is.”

She watched as the boat slid gently across the surface of the water. Korra’s eyes shined in the moonlight when she glanced back, as hopeful as Asami had ever seen them.

###

_The Avatar had never felt lower._

_Her arms swung numbly as she walked, still tingling from the inescapable grasp for the phantom’s invisible pull. Her face had not yet bruised, but she could feel one forming along her cheek. Blood crusted the skin around the scrap on her shin. She could hardly feel the flow of it through her arteries and veins, as if her body hardly felt her worth the effort anymore._

_And like everywhere else she had been, the people walked by ignorant, or at least determined to ignore. What kind of Avatar was she to walk through the world unnoticed and uncared for? Dark clouds unleashed their torrent of thoughts in her mind. They flooded well-soaked ground. Who would mind if the fighters in that arena decided to kill her?_

_Your parents, came the answer. Your friends. Bolin. Mako. The Beifongs. Tenzin and Pema. Asami would. Asami’s heart would break. She has always cared more for her friends than herself._

_Not for the first, or second, or third, or tenth time, Korra considered giving up her foolish, self-imposed isolation. She told herself that her friends were no crutch to be ashamed of. Six months alone had helped no more than banging her head against a wall. She missed them. She missed Naga. She missed Asami._

_Korra wondered how much the brilliant engineer had changed since they last saw each other. She certainly had. Nearly three years had passed. Three years in which distance had brought revelations the Avatar had been unable to see when they parted. Feelings that scared her. Feelings that thrilled her and made her want to fight even harder. She wanted to be the person Asami used to know. It scared her to think that if she returned to Republic City now, Asami couldn’t love the woman Korra had become._

_The air seemed to grow colder. Quiet reigned but for a few rebellious sounds. A lemur cat screeched. A window shutter flapped against its frame. A broken sob played a mournful tune. Korra assumed it hers, until a threatening growl told it to stop. She stopped outside an alleyway housing three shadows. One lay on the ground, while a smaller one stood between it and one much taller, poised to swallow them whole._

_“Leave her alone!” The small shadow stood defiant. When the attacker shoved her aside, the little girl quickly stood and began pounding on his arm with tiny fists. The woman on the ground tried to stand up. She received a kick to the ribs for her effort._

_Korra rushed forward and sent the thug sprawling with a burst of air. The girl hurried to her mother’s side. The moon slid from behind a cloud. The little girl’s hair was black as the cloud left behind, and her eyes as green as emeralds. Korra gasped, but quickly fell into a fighting position as the thug leapt to his feet in a burst of fire._

_“Big mistake, lady,” he hissed._

_“Leave them alone. You’re not hurting this little girl’s mother tonight.”_

_“I wouldn’t have to hurt anyone if you would all stop resisting, but I guess I have no choice.”_

_Fire bathed the alley like the afternoon sun. Korra jumped in front of the mother and her daughter, deflecting the flames into the sky and charring the wall beside her. “Go!” she shouted. She watched them flee until she was knocked off her feet, her ears ringing when her head bounced off the ground._

_The firebender jump in the air and came down in a swirl of flame, and the Avatar barely avoided him. She had just regained her feet when another burst of fire nearly tore her off her feet. He was not so fast as the fighters in the arena. Korra avoided most of his attacks, but could not manage any counterattack. She tried her own firebending and was again knocked off her feet._

_The thug’s cruel smile shined white, and his shadow stood tall in the moon and firelight. Korra scrambled backwards and back to her feet. Her own shadow was nonexistent. Not even the Avatar’s shadow remained to her. Sweat poured down her back. Fear chilled her spine. At least the girl-_

_“Leave her alone!”_

_A small rock propelled through the air and bounced off the firebender’s cheek. He turned angrily towards the alley exit, where the raven-haired little girl still stood defiant. Korra did not let the momentary distraction pass by. She rushed forward and swept the thug from his feet. His fingers glowed bright orange as he readied to attack, but she kicked him in the elbow. The ground raised sharp and tented around him. No matter how he struggled, he could not escape._

_The girl’s mother lifted her daughter into her arms, sobbing. “What were you thinking?” she cried._

_“I wanted to help.”_

_“It was too dangerous!”_

_“She’s right,” Korra said. All the pains of the beating she took in the arena returned, her every step a trial. “But thank you. You should go get some cops to bring this guy in.”_

_“Thank you so much,” the mother said. “I wish there was some way to repay you. Do you need somewhere to stay tonight? Or perhaps dinner?”_

_“No, that’s okay.” She would need to leave tonight. Head for the next closest town, stay away from here for the foreseeable future. Word of the Avatar would spread quickly. Even if this woman had not realized it, the tale would soon spread. “I’m glad you’re okay.”_

_The mother hugged her daughter close. Her hair was the same dark color, but her eyes were the amber of the Fire Nation. She was young, too. Five years older than Asami, at most. “Thank you,” the mother repeated. “Thank you so much.”_

_Korra watched them leave, glad to have given them a chance. She thought of Asami at that same age, crying over her mother’s body. Had there been a chance them? Had someone been in a position to stop the person who killed her and simply not acted? She also wondered how different life may have been for Asami if her mother lived. Maybe Korra would never have met her._

_Word would eventually reach her once people were sure Korra had been involved. The Avatar imagined the proud smile on the engineer’s face. She always smiled that same smile. Korra never understood how a simple curve of the lips could convey so many different emotions. Gratitude. Support. Confidence. Love. It was a contagious smile that never failed to make Korra feel better. Just imagining it made her feel better as she limped back onto the street._

_They would need to talk when Korra was better and back in Republic City. The thought was scary. So many times she had rethought the feelings that had grown with distance and time. She had tried many times to convince herself this was something else she felt, but every day she woke up sure of the rapid pulse of her heart and the beautiful smile of memory. No, there was something there, and Korra was determined to figure out what it was. When she got back._

_First, she would need to get better._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love any reviews. If people like it enough, I'll keep going.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy almost Korrasami Day everyone! To say I miss this show is a huge understatement.

“This is nice,” her father said.

Asami’s cup of tea clanged off the plate in her hands, and she turned hesitantly towards her father. Of the many reasons she constantly reorganized into lists in her mind for her discomfort around her father, the leading factor at that moment was how _old_ he looked. Four years in prison had aged him a decade. There was more to it than the thin white hair on his scalp and face, or how it did nothing to hide how thin and pale his skin was. She had overcome that shock after first seeing her father in prison. Asami had spent hours since visiting. Twice she swallowed tears over how slow his steps were and the uncoordinated fumbling of his fingers when they played Pai Sho, once as quick and skilled as a master violinist. An hour earlier she could not hold her tears any longer when Hiroshi dropped a piece for the third time.

Neither did it help when the young engineer opened her mouth to speak. Her eyes grew wide when the sun bounced off the steel bars over the windows. The end of day reminded her of the end of their relationship, sweat dripping down Asami’s face despite the chill in her bones, waiting for her father to deliver the finishing blow. She remembered how close she had come to doing the same.

The memories must have shown on her face, as Hiroshi frowned and the joy fled his voice. “I was hoping we could have dinner together.”

“I have plans,” Asami said coldly. She did not mean to sound so cruel, but the snows drifting into the hangar in her memory had chilled her every thought. “I have to meet with the President for a progress report and then meet up with my friends.” Her bender friends that her father hated so much he had been willing to kill his own daughter in his anger and madness. 

“Okay,” Hiroshi said. “I heard the Avatar is back. Will she be there?”

“Her name is Korra. And I believe she will be there.”

Hiroshi smiled. He may as well have taken off the jacket covering his withered frame and revealed a tattoo. Asami couldn’t be sure which would have been more surprising. “Korra. Of course.”

The next ten minutes passed in silence. Her father’s smile remained emblazoned in Asami’s thoughts, as perplexing as the fury in his voice when he stated his intentions to kill her so many years ago and having no less a tumultuous effect on her psyche. She stood abruptly. “I should go. I’m not sure when I’ll be back. Take care of yourself.”

“I will. And Asami? Tell Korra and your friends that I’m sorry for what I did to them. They didn’t deserve it.”

The kind words were a slap across the face. Asami’s cheeks burned as if she was still holding the blowtorch, the flames concentrated on her skin and burning away whatever confidence she may have deluded herself about feeling when her father walked into the factory that day. With nothing to say, she turned and marched off.

###

_His cell was well lit, clean, and solitary. A large, barred window provided a view of the sparkling bay beyond. Whatever undeserved luxury they provided was countered by the dominating image of Air Temple Island and Avatar Aang’s statue, their combined shadows stretching across the waters like a pair of hands offering forgiveness._

_Clearly Asami’s father had no thought of forgiveness. His already cold eyes froze over when he looked up at his daughter. He sat rigid at the foot of a proper bed, unlike the bunks the other prisoners slept on. “What?” he said._

_Hostility crashed upon Asami like the waves outside, and her thin veneer of confidence was stripped away. Three days ago and she may have run. She thought of her friends waiting outside, how they had promised to be at her side if she wished. Their faces anchored her in place. “I wanted to see you. I want an explanation.”_

_“What is there to explain? Those scum killed your mother. Amon promised me vengeance. He would have given us both vengeance.”_

_“That isn’t vengeance, it is terrorism! Those people didn’t take Mom from us! They’re innocent!”_

_“Maybe today.” Hiroshi clenched his hands, angry veins pulsing beneath the skin. “But they would not have been for long. All benders think they are better than the rest of us. They have subjugated non-benders since the beginning of time and will continue to rule as tyrants until the end unless we do something. Just look at the Avatar. Think of how she has bulled her way through Republic City since the moment she arrived, all because of a misplaced sense of superiority due to her abilities. It is time to end them.”_

_He looked at Asami, and for a moment he was her father again. “It is not too late. Help me.”_

_The young Sato heiress held back the tears, ashamed of the last name that had once inspired such pride. “No, Dad. You’re wrong. If you had ever taken five minutes to get to know-”_

_“Then leave!” Hiroshi shouted. “Get out of here. You’re not my daughter. When the end comes for non-benders, stay out of the way or you will suffer like the rest of them.”_

_“Please, Dad. You can still get past this. You’re really important to Republic City, if you apologize and help root out what’s left of the Equalists, the council is willing to show leniency. It doesn’t have to be this way.”_

_Hiroshi turned away, glaring angrily out of the window at the island nestled safely in Yue Bay._

_Tears still fell down Asami’s face when she reached the front lobby. She jumped when a strong, tender hand lightly touched her shoulder. Korra grimaced apologetically. Bolin and Mako were nowhere to be seen. The Avatar looked better than she had upon returning to Republic City, but the bags under her eyes had not quite vanished. Absurdly, Asami nearly offered makeup tips to hide them as her tears still fell past her trembling lips._

_“I’m guessing it didn’t go well,” Korra said. “I’m sorry.”_

_“Thank you. I’ll just have to deal with it.”_

_The Avatar frowned, awkwardly scanning the room as if the right thing to say was written on the walls. Asami knew the gesture. It was one she practiced as well. “I never meant for any of this to happen. You probably blame me for busting your dad and, I mean, I can’t say I regret stopping him, but I never wanted to take your family away. You probably hate me.”_

_“No, of course not.” Asami was slightly surprised to find she meant it. “You did the right thing. I could never hate you for that.”_

_“Even after everything that happened?”_

_Asami managed a smile. “I was going to find out eventually. I’m glad I found out in time to help stop him.”_

_Korra smiled back. “How about Future Industries? What’s going to happen?”_

_“I’ll have to take over and try to keep it afloat.” It wouldn’t be easy. The company’s stock had already plummeted and things would get much worse moving forward. Rebuilding it would be the most difficult task of Asami’s life, and might be impossible. The smart thing to do would be to liquidate and start over somewhere else. She would be highly sought as a free agent. As smart as Asami was, she couldn’t let that happen. Future Industries was all she had left now. “I’ll manage somehow.”_

_“Well you don’t have to manage alone.” Korra crossed her arms resolutely. “I know things are a little weird right now, but I think we’ve been through enough together that we can depend on each other for help. Don’t hesitate to ask if you need it.”_

###

“I think I need help,” Asami said.

Korra stopped rubbing her stomach, stuffed full after their meal. “With what?”

“My father.”

That wiped the smile from the Avatar’s face. “Did he say something? I thought you said he apologized and seemed different?”

“That’s why I need help.” Asami pulled her car over to the side of the road and turned towards her friend. On any other night the sight of her rosy cheeks and the shine of the moon off the icy blue of her eyes would never have failed to warm Asami’s every fiber. “I can’t help but wonder if it’s all a game. I can’t forget how welcoming and kind he was to Mako when they met, or to you and Bolin later. Every bit of trust I ever had in my father was broken to pieces when I found out he was funding Amon’s revolution. Today, for the first time in four years, I felt like I had a father again, and I don’t trust that feeling one bit.”

“No one knows him better than you. If you think he’s faking…”

“I have no idea. I have no confidence in my ability to tell if he’s faking. I worry that he’s manipulating me.” Asami sighed. “He told me he was sorry. He told me to apologize to you all tonight. I don’t know what to do, Korra. I thought maybe it was possible before, but I don’t know whether I can forgive him, or if it would be right to. Maybe this is all a ploy, some new attempt to turn me over to his side.”

Korra hesitated, uncertain. They had argued once over this, and Asami could see that her friend did not want to reignite that conflict between them. “Do you want to forgive him? You should probably ask yourself that before anything else.”

Asami stared, speechless. She had no idea. She hated it. Confusion was as strange to her as Korra’s command of the elements. Asami could count the number of times she had been confused in her life on one hand. Her mother’s death had been one such event. Otherwise it always traced back to her father. The revelation of Hiroshi’s betrayal had only made her realize that she had never understood him. Why should she think she understood him now? How could she know if she wanted to forgive him or not if she did not know who she was forgiving?

“It’s not like you have to make a decision right now,” Korra continued. “We have other stuff to worry about and he isn’t going anywhere. So maybe give him time to prove himself.”

It was good advice. The right advice. Asami, however, had never been one to wait or delay.

###

She found Hiroshi still awake in his cell, the moonlight shining off his hair. His finger rested on a page halfway through the book in his hands as he read. It slipped away when he noticed Asami in the doorway. “I wasn’t expecting you. How was your dinner?”

“Dad,” she said, as if he never spoke, “I need to know what you’re doing.”

Her father seemed confused by the question. 

“You said I was beyond saving. You tried to kill me. You told me I wasn’t your daughter and that I would suffer like every other bender. What changed? Why would you apologize? Why would you want to make amends now?”

“Four years passed.”

A guard’s voice carried through the corridor, eventually fading. Hiroshi waited to be sure he was not about to interrupt. “I’ve met many people here in prison. At first I stayed close to the other Equalists imprisoned after Amon’s defeat. We struck up plans, made vengeful promises. Whenever someone attempted escape, we tried to take notes for our own escape. It was all futile. After only a few months the entire revolution was well and truly dead. Amon had been the gear around which the entire machine turned. Once he was exposed as a fraud, there was nothing left but anger. And anger burns out quickly without focus to feed the flames.”

“I soon realized that while I was angry, that was never my true motivation.” Hiroshi looked up at Asami with teary eyes. “You were. The day that firebender killed your mother nearly broke me. You were the only thing that kept me right. The idea that some bender could take you from me…” 

His skin flushed angrily, and he looked away. Asami crossed her arms. “Any non-bender could have done the same one day. Are you going to hate the entire world?”

“I don’t hate anyone anymore. As I said, I have met many people while imprisoned. Most of the population are benders. Some of the Equalists avoided them, or started fights. Some escaped. Some died. Once my anger was gone I separated myself from the my former friends. Threats were made. Despite everything I did, many of the benders were willing to protect me.” Her father sighed. “News of the Avatar’s fight with the Red Lotus spread quickly through the prison. That was why I wrote you that first letter.”

Asami remembered. She had found it upon returning home after Korra left for the Southern Water Tribe. She had never known when it was sent to her. 

“I wanted to at least try at reconciliation. I didn’t know how you would react, but I needed to try. When you came back to play Pai Sho with me, it was the happiest day I could remember since before your mother died. Asami…I don’t know what I can say to convince you. Maybe there is nothing I can say. All I can ask is that you give me a chance.”

Asami stared out at the bay. “I don’t know. I want to forgive you. I wasn’t sure before, but you’re my father. I want to believe everything you are telling me. I don’t know if I can.”

Hiroshi nodded. “I understand. All I can hope for is the time to change your mind, just as time made me realize what a fool I was.” 

###

Yue Bay was gray and foaming as the winds drove the waves at the cliffs and shores surrounding it. Weeds had sprouted throughout the garden and lawn. Dead patches of grass lay bent and brittle like a sickness among the green. Various pairs of lips voiced their regrets and sympathies to Asami. She heard none of it.

The hurt had been expected. What she had not expected was this much hurt. She had not expected paralysis from it. She found herself trying to remember the bad of Hiroshi Sato out of desperation to dull the pain. While the others feigned feelings of admiration and respect for the man, she tried desperately to remember the sorrow she had felt when her father asked her to hurt Korra and the others who had come to expose him, or the fury which nearly drove her to kill the man in a cold, snowy aircraft hangar.

Korra was one of the few who faked nothing as the others spoke. While his last moments had earned forgiveness, the Avatar was a stubborn woman. She would never like Hiroshi Sato and had little respect to pay to him. Asami was truly grateful for that. Korra acting like everyone else might have been the smack by reality that finally broke her down.

The young engineer was surprised to see her friend attending the funeral at all. Other than the night after Kuvira’s defeat, Korra had been away from Republic City, assisting in the removal of Kuvira’s forces from the Earth Kingdom and the dissolution of her empire. They had not seen each other since that night and had no time alone on this day. _When this is over, we’ll have time to talk about whatever this is._

Asami wondered if it would ever be “over.” There was always something new. First there had been Korra’s injuries and disappearance. Then Kuvira. Now her father’s death. A sob bludgeoned its way up her throat. Her father lay buried and she was thinking about her love life. Another sob escaped and tears began to fall.

By the time she recovered, Korra had escorted her into the mansion and seated them alone in front of the unused fireplace. Ashes from whatever previous fire may have burned there had long been swept out and replaced by dust. “You want something to drink?” Korra asked. “I’m not sure where you keep anything these days, but I can hunt down a maid.”

“No.” Asami tried and failed at a smile. “I just needed a moment. Thanks for getting me out of there.”

“Yeah, of course. Sorry I haven’t been around. I wanted to be here with my friends, but duty calls. How have you been holding up?”

“Okay. Mako and Bolin have been wonderful. They’re always checking on me and bringing me lunch and stuff. I feel kind of guilty. They’ve been so determined to help me through this and it’s made them relive losing their parents as well. I can’t help them like they’re helping me.”

Korra’s hand gently stroked at Asami’s back, firing off every nerve like the engine of a Satomobile. The engineer only felt worse. “I’m so sorry,” Korra said. “I wish there was something else to say.”

“I’d rather you didn’t. Not right now.”

“Okay, then let’s talk about something nicer. How about Varrick and Zhu Li’s wedding!” Korra gave it her best enthusiasm. “You’re going, right?”

Varrick had not let her refuse. Not that Asami would have if she could. It was exactly the distraction she needed right now. And Korra in a dress…Asami shook her head. Korra frowned, and she realized what that had looked like. “Yes! Yes, I’m going, of course. I wouldn’t miss it. I was shaking my head about something else.”

“Great! It should be really fun.” Korra tapped her fingers on her thighs nervously. “So, feeling any better?”

“Yes. Thank you. I just needed that moment away from it all.”

Korra stood and helped Asami to her feet. One hand reached around to rub at the shortened hairs at the back of her head. “I know I’m not the best talker, and I can’t relate to your loss, but I still want you to know that I’m here if you ever think I can help you through this. I really am sorry that I’ve been gone, but that’s going to change. Anything at all, whatever you need, I’m here.”

They lingered in an embrace a moment too long, and not nearly long enough. Asami watched her friend walk away. Her life had changed so much in the past four years. She had gained friends and lost family. She had seen her company fail and be born again. She had lost a father, found him, and lost him again. An empire had risen and fallen. The world was nothing like it had been before. A great chapter had ended.

Asami closed her eyes, resolute not to act the historian, dwelling on and examining the past for mistakes. She spent much of these four years doing such. As she left her mansion to return to the funeral, she made her decision. This funeral was ending a significant chapter of her life, but now something more, something exciting, waited for her. Varrick and Zhu Li’s wedding was a new beginning for them, and would also be so for Asami Sato. Hopefully, it would be something new with Korra. 

###


	4. Chapter 4

Korra yanked anxiously at the zipper of her backpack. After her fourth unsuccessful attempt to close it fully, she gave up and began pulling the packed contents back out. She had no idea why she was packing so much. She stared at the bottles of water, wondering why she had packed so many when there were dozens of cold, clear streams to drink from and refill bottles with. She wondered why she had packed clothes for cold weather when she would never wear it in the Spirit World.

Evening moved forward as rapidly as Korra’s hands as they threw the excess aside and packed the necessities back into the pack. Asami was late. The Avatar wondered if she was having the same problem. It seemed likely. No one overprepared like Asami Sato. Korra would never forget walking for the first time onto the airship Asami prepared for the search for the airbenders. There had been supplies for months. She had three separate staffs of mechanics to handle any issues with the airship at any time. She had four pilots. Korra laughed, picturing Asami knocking on the door with an assistant and a chef at her side.

Her laugh quickly grew nervous and faded. She finally zipped the backpack shut, a nervous sigh echoing through the small room. She needed a distraction. Something to keep her from worrying about the many things she wanted to worry about; whether Asami had changed her mind, whether the Avatar had misread their conversation at Varrick’s wedding, whether they were being irresponsible to leave now, whether anyone would need her while she was gone. Korra noticed a loose bit of thread from an old tear on the backpack. It was stupid to worry. She had lived out of this backpack for six months, and now she was worrying about a couple of weeks.

“That’s not what you’re really worried about,” Korra whispered. 

Three years had passed between Zaheer’s defeat and her return to Republic City. A return that had almost exclusively revolved around Kuvira. She and Asami had spent some time together in the weeks since, but not enough to truly know the changes which had occurred during their time spent apart, to learn the new threads hanging loose where time and trials had worn at the girls they used to be. Korra couldn’t be sure Asami would truly like the person she had become. The Avatar couldn’t even be sure where the threads hung loose, revealing something new and ugly that would turn away those she cared about.

###

_“What are you drinking?” Asami asked._

_Korra placed the cup on the railing. “Tea. Why?”_

_“Since when do you casually drink tea? You used to refuse unless Tenzin made you or you were attending some function that necessitated it.”_

_She was right. Korra cocked her head, thinking back. “I guess it was sometime after I left for the Southern Water Tribe after the fight with Zaheer. Katara was always trying to force cups of tea in my hands during therapy. It was easier to start drinking them after a while, and I got into the habit. I guess it still calms me.”_

_So many nights came and went beside a fire with the legendary waterbending master. Some spent laughing, more crying, and even those where neither said a word. There was always tea, though. Korra would roll her wheelchair, and eventually limp determinedly, over to the carpet before the hearth, and Katara would follow with a tray. The moon would rise and fall. Korra would talk through her anger, or Katara would share one of her countless stories from the mythical life she had lived. The waterbender did not always last the entire night, but she always managed for as long as Korra needed to let the fire burn away the cold and the day’s frustrations._

_“You’re definitely different,” Asami said, returning Korra’s attention to the present. There was a hint of worry in the engineer’s voice. “I guess three years would do that to anyone, let alone someone who went through what you did?”_

_“Good different, or bad?” Korra asked nervously._

_“Good, of course.” Whether she meant it or was simply being supportive, Korra did not know._

_The Avatar offered the half-full cup to her friend, and Asami took it with a thankful nod. Korra looked away to hide the stupid blush when Asami did not even hesitate to place her lips on the same spot she had been sipping from. Lipstick smudged the rim when Korra took it back._

_“I guess I didn’t have much choice but to change. Even when I was well enough to travel, I wasn’t anywhere near as strong as before. There were so many times where I would see some injustice and I couldn’t do anything about it. I would try but fail. It was hard, but eventually I learned to simply accept my limitations as a fighter and try to solve problems in a peaceful way. I like to think the process made me a smarter person and peacemaker.”_

_Asami smiled. “I love that you just used the word peacemaker without snarling.”_

_Korra laughed and sipped at the tea. Not from the spot with the lipstick, though she eyed it carefully. “I’m growing up.”_

_“We all are. Hopefully once this is over we can all get to know the people we’re becoming.” The engineer frowned. “You’re not the only one I feel like I don’t know anymore. I’ve barely seen Bolin since he left to join Kuvira’s army, and Mako’s always so busy. I’ve really missed all of you.”_

_“Then when this is over we are going to get together and throw a huge party.”_

_Asami smiled. She made to take a step forward, hesitated, and then threw her arms around Korra’s shoulders. The Avatar gently wrapped her arms around her taller friend’s torso. “I can’t wait to get to know the new Korra.”_

_She snorted and pulled away from the engineer. “I’m not that different, Sami.”_

_“No, I guess not. And I’m happy about that.”_

###

The knock on the door startled Korra, and she dropped the shirt in her hands. Asami waited outside, a single backpack slung over her slim shoulders. It looked half-filled at most. Her hair was secured behind her head, exposing her smooth, sharp features. A hopeful smile shined bright in the hazy lantern glow of the hall.

“Ready?”

Korra rubbed the back of her neck and grinned nervously. “Almost.”

Asami smiled teasingly. “How much are you packing?”

“Give me a break. I’m nervous.” She regretted the words immediately.

The floor creaked beneath Asami’s boots as she entered the room. Next door, an acolyte snored. Closing the door behind the engineer did little to muffle the sound. “Let’s start simple, then,” she said, sliding gracefully onto the bed beside Korra’s open backpack. “Looks like you already have a few changes of clothes in her, a few bottles of water, a spare pair of shoes. How about some soap and shampoo?”

Korra pursed her lips. “Yeah, I didn’t think about that. How about your glove?”

“I won’t need it.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah. I spent some time in the Spirit Wilds during the planning stages before the infrastructure project. The Spirits mostly ignored me, but some would watch me. A few even talked to me. I feel comfortable around them, and I’m sure we won’t run into anything we need to fight.”

“The Spirit World itself is going to be different than the Spirit Wilds.” Korra threw her shampoo into her pack and zipped it up one last time.

“I know. I’m sure it won’t take me too long to get used to those differences. Once I do, I’m sure I’ll love it there.”

Korra slid her arms through the straps and took one last look around. An anxious sigh slid from her throat. “Well, let’s get going. We’ll figure out the rest as we go.”

Construction equipment stood unmanned throughout the ruined streets of Republic City. Many bore the gear of Future Industries. Asami had spent almost all of the two weeks following the battle coordinating the reconstruction plan. There was much more to decide, but the focus at the moment was on allocating resources to clean the damage done in the battle against Kuvira. There was little to be done until that process was finished. Broken husks of buildings were all that remained of downtown. Shattered glass and chunks of concrete covered the street like snow, and whole sections of building blocked off entire streets. Months would pass before everything could be removed.

The damage only grew worse as they neared the flattened remains of the Spirit Wilds. An occasional spirit floated through the streets ahead of them. “I’m trying to imagine you camping out here,” Korra said. “I’m having a hard time picturing it. Not that you’re like, delicate or anything, but you’ve always been the engineer. You work with machines and spend most your time in offices.”

“It was an adjustment.” Asami readjusted the straps of her backpack and looked around at the buildings. “I went all out. I lived in a tent, I cooked my food over a fire, I didn’t use a single machine. I wanted to do things right, to truly understand the Wilds and the spirits that live here.”

“Why? You could have just built around them.”

Asami looked away. It was hard to tell in the dark, but Korra thought her friend was blushing. “That would have been the wrong way. After Harmonic Convergence and the return of the spirits, the world changed forever. Future Industries needed to lead the way in adjusting to this new way of life rather than fight it. That’s how we have always stayed ahead of our competition.”

Korra thought back to those weeks after defeating Vaatu and Unalaq, when the spirit vines threatened to overrun Republic City and Raiko had banished her. Much like herself, the old world and the new had been in constant conflict. When she came back to the city to find Republic City had achieved the balance she had yet to manage, it had only made her feel worse. 

She watched Asami as they walked past the wreckage of the union between spirits and man that the engineer had worked so hard to create. Pride blossomed in her heart. Whatever doubts the Avatar may have had about this trip, and the intention behind it, were erased by the pain on Asami’s face as she stared at the remains of highways and buildings flattened by Kuvira’s cannon. She had worked so hard to make Korra’s dream a reality. It would have been so much simpler to ignore the Wilds and turn her back on Korra, just like Raiko had. Instead she had tied Future Industries and the very identity of Republic City to them. She had Korra’s back, as always.

The Avatar could not deny the pang of regret aching in her chest when their first steps crunched the dying remains of the vines at the edge of the Spirit Wilds. It was all gone now. She wondered if it would ever come back. Asami stopped after they entered the Wilds and turned towards Korra. “Well, here we are.”

“Yeah.” Korra smiled. “I’m ready. Are you ready? Are you…sure about this?”

Asami smiled. Korra couldn’t help but smile back. “Absolutely.”

###

_The Avatar was surprised when the secretary told her to go ahead into the office before she said a word. Not that she was unexpected or unknown, but Korra had figured Asami would at least want to know first. When she entered the office, she found the engineer staring out the west window in the direction of the newly formed Spirit Wilds. Korra’s frustration growled low in her throat._

_Asami turned and smiled. “Hey, Korra. I’m so glad you came.”_

_“Yeah, no problem.” The Avatar had no idea why Asami had asked her to come, but they had been through enough together that Korra wouldn’t have felt right to ignore her. She looked around the office. Asami was still unpacking from a stack of boxes in the corner. “How have things been? Any problem coming back?”_

_“Some. Nothing I don’t know how to handle. Most of my time has been spent reclaiming my warehouses and factories and hiring new staff. Almost everyone is new, since most of my father’s staff left when Varrick took control, but I kind of like that. It feels like Future Industries is really mine this time, and I’m not just trying to keep my father’s vision alive.”_

_“Good. I know that feeling. Being the Avatar, I’ve always felt like I was trying to live up to what my previous lives were, but that’s not how things work. Losing my connection to my past lives hurt, and still hurts, but it might be a blessing in disguise. Now I can focus on how to be the best Avatar for the world as it is, and not worry about what kind of Avatar Aang or Roku or Kyoshi were.”_

_Asami smiled. “Exactly. Now that I’m focused on bringing this company into the future, I’m realizing just how outdated my father’s way of running things really was. He still ran Future Industries like a small time automobile company instead of the global powerhouse it became. I’m changing that. I hired a publicist, revamped quality control, improved our security, and a whole lot of other things that would bore you to death.”_

_“No,” Korra said, “I don’t mind.”_

_“I appreciate that, but really, it’s boring.”_

_Asami strutted back over to her desk and turned a small key inside a lock on one of the drawers. She slipped the key inside one of her jacket pockets. “So what’s up?” Korra said._

_“Well, I figure you’ve been busy and could use a break. Maybe go grab something to eat. There’s a new Fire Nation restaurant that opened last week and I’ve wanted to try it.” Asami looked away. “Um, interested?”_

_Korra was never a huge fan of Fire Nation food. “Sure. I could use the distraction.”_

_She hardly remembered what the food tasted like as they left the restaurant, and her cheeks ached from all the smiling. A hoarse, dry chuckle escaped her lips as she jumped the passenger door of Asami’s Satomobile and settled into the seat. Asami slid gracefully behind the wheel._

_“That was a great time. Who knew Asami Sato had such a sense of humor?”_

_The engineer flipped her keys in the air and caught them before igniting the engine. “I’m glad you appreciated it.”_

_“Oh man, definitely. If for no other reason than the surprise.”_

_“And certainly not because of the food. We’re never going there again. I’ll find somewhere else for the next time we go to lunch.”_

_Korra liked that idea. “Sounds like a plan.”_

_The city sped by as they made their way back to Asami’s office. She had offered to take Korra wherever she needed to be, but the Avatar refused. She was in no hurry to get back to the spirit vines or the people riding her over ridding the city of them. Asami had thankfully ignored the subject, as if she knew it would set Korra off. Three days of fruitless effort had poked at Korra’s considerable temper._

_Korra threw her head back and let the wind whip through her hair. When she looked over at Asami, she noticed her friend’s eyebrows were furrowed and she was mumbling something to herself. “You okay?”_

_Asami snapped back to attention. “Yeah, great, I’m fine,” she said enthusiastically. Korra shrugged and turned her attention back to the city speeding by outside._

_She followed Asami to the lobby entrance of the towering skyscraper housing the Future Industries main office. “So, how about tomorrow?”_

_“Hmm?”_

_“You know, for lunch again.”_

_Asami’s eyes widened, and her lips curled upwards. “You want to do this again tomorrow?”_

_Korra shrugged. “Why not? Maybe you could give me some more advice on what to say when I fail again at clearing the vines.”_

_“You’ll figure it out, Korra. I’m sure you will.”_

_“Even so, maybe we could go try a different restaurant. We need to find one besides Narook’s if we’re going to make this a regular thing.”_

_Asami nodded. “Absolutely.”_

_Korra walked back towards City Hall. Her stomach was still full, and the laughs still on her tongue. She never thought they would get along so well. When she thought about it, they had never really spent much time together that didn’t involve Mako, Bolin, and some dangerous situation requiring their immediate attention. It was strange. They had been through so much together. Had Korra been that cold to here all this time because of Mako?_

_She wasn’t ready to go back and deal with the vines yet. She cut down the first street on her left, followed it a couple of blocks, and cut across Fireshield towards the park. It was mostly empty now, and she climbed up to the top of the tallest tree in the middle. She could see Asami’s office. The engineer would be back hard at work now, looking over reports or drawing new designs or talking to her underlings. She was always working hard. They both were. If they could escape that for a little bit hanging out together, why not? Korra had always wanted a girl friend._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm thinking this is the last chapter for this, unless there is something people really want me to write about that I didn't. I figured ending on the start of Asami and Korra's real friendship was a good place to end, especially alongside the start of something more. 
> 
> I have a couple of ideas for something much more involved in the Avatar universe I might write, but I'm not decided yet whether I want to sit down and hammer it out because it would definitely be a commitment. You guys are always so supportive though that it is making me want to. So maybe keep an eye out in the next couple weeks if you're interested.

**Author's Note:**

> Any comments or noticed mistakes in grammar or lore are always welcome.


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